Cloth stentering machine



Nov. 13, 1951 R. c. MATHER CLOTH STENTERING MACHINE Filed Feb. 28, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET l lzzuezztor 12. Clfaijz/az Nov. 13, 1951 R. c. MATHER" 2,574,928

CLOTH STENTERING MACHINE Filed Feb. 28, 1949 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 lzz/v 612/201 Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,574,928 r CLOTHSTENTERING MACHINE Application February 28, 1949, Serial No. 78,709 In Great Britain March 12, 1948 4; Claims. (CI. 26-57) .The invention; relates tovstent rs ployin the. automatic-clipwhich has a. pivoted tongue plate gripping the clothselved e, The swinging tongues have to be moved to the open position to admit: the cloth and then be allowed to fall onto it. The opening action is usually carried out by means of a fixed plate, set at an angle to the line of travel of the clips, which bears against the tongue below the point at which it is pivoted r against. an exten ionrof the tongue above the pivot. This form of opening means has proved satisfactory with relatively. slow speeds, but has shortcomings with. the modernjhigh speeds which have naturally developed with the improved heating systems-applied to-stenters. There is something of a shock when the fast-travelling clip tongue strikes the opener, which imposes wear on the'moving partsand there is friction and wear between the clips and the openers. Fur ther, there is some vibration as the tongue rubs against the opener and a tendency for the tongue to fall onto the metal plate beneath with something of a hammer blow after the clip has been opened at the exit end of the stenter to release the fabric.

It is known to open the clip tongues by means of a wheel mounted above the stenter chain wheel and concentric with it, to engage extensions of the clip tongues. In this manner friction is eliminated but a sudden opening and closing movement is imparted to the tongues with liability to noise, shock and wear, when high speeds are in question.

The object of my present invention is to provide improved stenter clip operating means which overcome the shortcomings or disadvantages before indicated.

The invention consists in the improved means for operating the stenter clips of stentering machines comprising an endless band, belt or chain travelling in the same direction and at substantially the same speed as the clips and making such an angle to their line of travel that the clips are opened and closed gently and substantially without friction.

The invention further comprises the arrangement in which the clips are opened and allowed to close by an endless belt, the latter passing over a terminal pulley, driven from the stenter clip chain, two pulleys which can be adjusted away from and towards one another to vary the line of travel of the belt as it moves away from and towards the terminal pulley and a tension pulley which can be adjusted in position without varying the line of travel of the belt.

Referring to drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view, Figure. 2 a sectional elevation on the line 22 ,of Figure 1, Figure .3

the accompanying explanatory I asectional elevation on the line 3.--.-3 of. Figure 1 secured in known manner. Thehollow spindle. b

revolves upon a spindle f, the base g of wh ch can be adjust in the frame it by thesc ewi which threads throu h the said base andis. restrained from axial movementin thev irarnej h.

Upon theframe h is mounted apedestalfj which in conjunction with the reduced upper end 7c of the spindle 1 serves to support the pulley carrying frame m in which are adjustably secured three spindles n, o and p upon which are journalled in suitable ball races the three belt pulleys q, r and s. The spindles n and o are adjustable away from and towards one another in the elongated slots t and u in the frame m. The spindle p is carried in a slide 1; adjustable by the screw 10 in a slot :1: in the frame m. The pulley 8 serves for tensioning the belt y whilst the pulleys q and r serve for controlling the track of the belt :11 leading to and away from the pulley a, which is where the belt is operative, as hereinafter described, to control the opening and closing of the stenter clips c.

It will have been noted that the belt :1; travels at the same speed as the stenter chain 41 because the latter drives the wheel 0 by which the pulley a is revolved.

Assuming that the stenter chain is travelling in the direction of the arrow 5 in Figure 1 and that the clips moving along the lower side of Figure 1 are gripping the cloth selvedge, then the top of the clip tongue will engage the belt y without shock and gradually it will be moved outwards by the belt to free the clip from the cloth due to the track of the belt being at an angle to the track of the stenter chain. It will be seen that in Figure 4 the clips are closed and the tops of the clip tongues clear of the belt y, whilst in Figure 3, the tops of the clip tongues have been engaged by the belt and the tongues opened to release the fabric which was held therein.

There is an arrangement similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 at each end of the traverse of the stenter chain, the cloth being gripped by the clips at one side of its run and released by the clips at the other end of the same side of its run in the normal manner.

With my improvement, the tops of the stenter clip tongues engage the outer face of the belt 1 which is preferably a V belt made of rubber or rubberised fabric, gently and without, mechanical shock, jarring or rubbing, so that the machine is much quieter in operation than machines with a fixed clip opener. Where a V belt is employed, this can'yield slightly as it presses against the top ofa clip tongue, which also assists in avoiding shocks and giving quietness of operation. f

I may employ any desired form of'endless belt, band or chain to operate the stenter clips.

What I claim is:

1. In a cloth stentering machine, in combinationfan endless stenter clip chain having clips thereon, a terminalsprocket wheel engaged by s'aid'chainat one end of its traverse, a belt pulley mounted above, and adapted to rotate at the. same speed and in the same direction as said sprocket wheel, an endless belt, a pair of belt pulleys in a plane adjustable away from and towards one another and mounted to determinethe path of travel of said belt, the said belt passing around all said pulleys, said pulleys being so positioned that the line of travel of the belt is partly insideand partly outside the line of travel of the chain as the latter ap- 2. In a cloth stentering machine as claimed in claim 1, a boss on said sprocket wheel, means for securing said first mentioned belt pulley upon said boss and means for movably supporting said wheel to permit tensioning adjustment thereof.

3. In a cloth stentering machine as claimed in claim 1, a belt tensioning pulley for the belt and means for adjusting the same away from and towards the center line connecting the said pair of' belt pulleys so as to tension the belt without altering its line of travel to and from the said first mentioned pulley.

4; Ina cloth' stentering machine as claimed in claim 1, a spindle for said wheel, a frame mounted upon said spindle, means for moving said spindle and thereby said frame for tensioning the stenter clip chain, said frame including means for mounting the said pair of belt pulleys for adjustment away from and toward one another, a belt tensioning pulley also mounted in said frame, and means on said frame for adjusting 'said belt tensioning pulley away from and toward the spindle.

The following references are of record in the;

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain of 1914' 

